it's high number of patients studied as well as it's finding that
post-exertional malaise, neurocognitive impairment and sleep
disturbance were the most relevant clinical features of the illness,
which reinforces the issue of these symptoms needing to be made
mandatory in any future criteria- "CONCLUSIONS: CFS is an illness that
preferentially affects young women and results in employment
absenteeism. The most relevant clinical features were prolonged
generalized fatigue after exercise, neurocognitive impairment and
sleep disturbance. In the evaluation of the patient, it is very
important to apply the Canadian criteria and to assess comorbidity."
---------------------------------------------------------------------------=
-
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/21794854
Rev Clin Esp. 2011 Jul 25. [Epub ahead of print]
[Chronic fatigue syndrome: study of a consecutive series of 824 cases
assessed in two specialized units.]
[Article in Spanish]
Ruiz E, Alegre J, Garc=EDa Quintana AM, Aliste L, Bl=E1zquez A, Fern=E1ndez
de Sevilla T.
SourceServicio de Medicina Interna, Unidad de Urgencias, Hospital
General Universitario Vall d'Hebron, Barcelona, Espa=F1a.
Abstract
BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVE: The chronic fatigue syndrome (CFS) is a
disabling disorder. Few studies are available in our area on the
prevalence and characteristics of CFS. Therefore, we carried out a
study of a consecutive series of 824 cases diagnosed in two
specialized units.
PATIENTS AND METHODS: We evaluated all of the CFS patients seen from
January 2008 to June 2010. We analyzed social and demographic data,
employment status, time of clinical evolution, trigger factors and
onset, Fukuda and Canadian criteria, associated comorbidities and
treatment.
RESULTS: A total of 824 patients were included, 748 (91%) woman, mean
age 48=B19 years. Average age of onset of symptoms was 35=B111 years, time
to diagnosis 108=B188 month. A precipitating factor was identified in
481 (58%) patients, the onset was gradual in 517 (63%) and 515 (62.5%)
were not employed. The most outstanding diagnostic criteria of Fukuda
were prolonged generalized fatigue after exercise, sleep disturbance
and impairments in concentration and short-term memory. The different
groups of symptoms defined by the Canadian consensus showed that CFS
is a homogeneous entity. Accompanying comorbidity phenomena were
anxiety 691 (83%), sicca syndrome 678 (82%), fibromyalgia 450 (55%). A
total of 63% of patients (520) received pharmacological treatment.
CONCLUSIONS: CFS is an illness that preferentially affects young women
and results in employment absenteeism. The most relevant clinical
features were prolonged generalized fatigue after exercise,
neurocognitive impairment and sleep disturbance. In the evaluation of
the patient, it is very important to apply the Canadian criteria and
to assess comorbidity.
Copyright =A9 2011 Elsevier Espa=F1a, S.L. All rights reserved.
PMID:21794854[PubMed - as supplied by publisher]
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